Teams That Swear

If you lead a team, you will recognise this moment when the result falls short and the energy in the room shifts. I recently sat down with Michael Crooks, who helped prepare TeamAustralia for the World Baseball Classic.They just missed the World Baseball Classic finals, yet the group grew closer.That outcome says a lot about the standards inside a team and the leadership behaviours that keep people aligned when things do not go to plan.In the episode, we unpack practical leadership behaviours, including:How to maintain standards without creating tension when performance dips.The questions to ask when expectations are not being met.Why giving people space after a setback often leads to better thinking.How preparation in the lead-up builds trust when results fall shortIf you are responsible for results and people, this conversation will feel relevant.Because leadership is not tested when things go well. It shows up when they do not.

I don't know about you, but to me, it feels like the world is going crazy. Crazy wars. Crazy petrol prices. AI impacts and AI stories. Crazy increases in the cost of living. And craziness on ice. When has Canada ever lost gold medal games at the Olympics to the U.S. in the women's, men's, and Paralympic ice hockey teams? Never. Until now. This is not ideal.Whether we notice it or not, all this extra noise can affect us neurologically, emotionally, and mentally. When people are overloaded, decision-making slows, patience shortens, and focus drifts. Not because capability disappears, but because the brain is already working overtime to manage uncertainty. The thing is, most of the time we don't realise this consciously. It shouldn't be a surprise that research from Gallup shows that only 23 per cent of employees globally are engaged at work, while stress levels remain near record highs. That is not a motivation problem. It is a cognitive load problem. In this episode of Teams That Swear, I unpack how anxiety often shows up as over-analysis, hesitancy to make decisions, and four practical leadership moves to help you steady the team when everything outside feels unpredictable. Our brains love certainty, and the tips will help you and your crew create clarity. It's important to realise that strong teams do not pretend pressure doesn't exist, or ignore it. The intent of the podcast is to help face the craziness together, speak honestly, and stay aligned on what matters most.That is how teams move from swearing about each other to swearing by each other.

Pressure doesn’t usually create bad leadership. It simply exposes habits we haven’t refined yet.That was one of the biggest takeaways from my conversation with Glenn Flood on the Teams That Swear podcast.Glenn spent more than thirty years working in high performance kitchens across Australia, Canada and the UK. Hetrained in Michelin-star environments, worked with Jamie Oliver and Tobie Puttock at Fifteen Melbourne, contributed to the early seasons of MasterChef Australia, and is now the author of Secret Sauce.In this episode we talk about what leadership actually looks like in environments where feedback is immediate, standards are visible and pressure never really disappears.We cover:how leaders translate pressure instead of transferring itwhy real-time feedback matters more than annual reviewshow friction improves decisions when it’s handled welland the moment Glenn realised his own reaction was the real leadership lessonIf you lead a team, there’s a lot in this conversation that will feel familiar.

If you’re a senior leader stuck in the tug of war between “include everyone” and “just make the call”, this Teams That Swear episode is for you.Because here’s what I’m seeing alot of: pressure from above to move faster, pressure from below to involve more people, and you’re trying to keep the work moving without leaving people feeling blindsided.In this episode you get insight into breaking down the difference most teams never name: people often want a voice, not a vote. When you confuse consultation with collaboration, and consensus with alignment, everything slows down and decisions start happening at the pace of the slowest voice in the room.You’ll also hear a real-life example, a clean way to draw the decision line, and four practical moves that stop meetings turning into long, messy debates and get execution moving again.If you’re tired of feeling like you cannot win either way, give it a listen.

Ex-sniper Brett Pennell on training, expectations, and the moments teams remember.In the latest Teams That Swear episode, I sat down with Brett Pennell, former NSW Police Tactical Operations sniper, to talk about what pressure does to people and teams. Brett has spent more than 20 years in policing, including specialist roles where information is incomplete, time compresses, and decisions cannot be passed up the chain or softened by committee.If you lead people, you have seen this play out. Something goes wrong, the room tightens, and someone says, “We just need people to step up.” Brett’s experience pushes leaders toward a different question: what have we actually built here, and what will we become when pressure arrives?In the episode, we unpack four lessons leaders can use immediately:Pressure is never an individual experience, even when one person makes the call.When it matters most, people default to training and habit, not intention.The real cost of pressure often shows up after the event, especially when people carry it in silence.Pressure accelerates trust in teams that depend on each other, while corporate teams have to design trust deliberately.This is the kind of thinking that helps teams swear by each other, not about each other, because it shifts the focus from blaming individuals to strengthening how the team functions when it counts.Trigger warning: the episode references the Bondi tragedy and includes discussion of police response, firearms, and loss of life. If that feels heavy or activating right now, you may want to pause and return to it later.

If you lead a senior team, you’ll know this moment. You come back into the year or hit a pressure point mid-stream, and something feels off. People are busy but not connected. Priorities feel fuzzy. Conversations take more effort than theyshould. And everyone quietly hopes things will magically settle.They won’t. Senior teams don’t reset by accident. They reset by design.In this episode I break down:Why most kickoff and strategy days feel good but change almost nothingThe four moves that shift a senior team from misaligned to connectedHow to reset relationships before you reset prioritiesThe simple way to make hidden work visible so people stop stepping on each otherThe conversation almost every senior team avoids and why it shapes everythingWhy rhythm beats inspiration, and how great teams keep clarity aliveThe difference between a “meeting cycle” and a real leadership rhythmThe baseball version of senior leadership that always gets a laugh, but also lands the pointIf you want your team to swear by each other, not about each other, this one matters.

A performance psychologist reveals why experienced teams stop improving and what helps them adapt.Capable teams don’t stall because people stop caring or trying.More often, they stall because the way the work is set up no longer helps people learn or adapt.In the second part of my discussion with Jeff Simons on Teams That Swear, a performance scientist who has spent decades in elite sport and high-pressure environments, to unpack what leaders can actually change when effort is already there but progress is not.We get into:Why shaping conditions matters more than explaining harderHow protecting people from failure can quietly slow learningWhy constraints change behaviour faster than instructionsAnd why rhythm and recovery are part of performance, not a nice-to-haveIf you lead a senior team that should be further along than it is, this conversation will give you clearer places to intervene without pushing harder.This is the kind of thinking that helps teams swear by each other, not about each other, because it shifts the focus from fixing people to designing the environment they work in.

The start of the year is meant to feel fresh. But if you’re a senior leader, January often feels like you’re driving two speeds at once. Half your team is still away, the work is piling up, and the pressure from above is already building.In this episode, I unpack why so many leaders hit February already worn down, and what the smartest leaders do differently in the first thirty days.You’ll walk away with practical moves you can use right now, including how to:Set clarity early so you’re not dragged into reactive workReset your leadership layers without long meetingsProtect your team from false urgencyFilter the noise so February is easier to leadIf you want a cleaner start to the year, this one will help you steady the rhythm before the pace picks up.If you lead a team, this is the podcast your people wish you’d listen to. Follow now for real stories from leaders around the world you can’t get on Wikipedia, and tools that actually help teams work better.

If you’ve ever walked out of a team meeting feeling clear and confident your team is on board, only to find yourself having the same conversation again three months later, this episode of Teams That Swear will feel uncomfortably familiar.In Part One of a two-part conversation on the Teams That Swear podcast, I sat down with Jeff Simons, an applied performance scientist and kinesiology professor whose work focuses on how humans actually learn and develop skill in elite sport and high-performance environments. Jeff understands a little about performance. He’s worked closely with gold medallist performers at various Olympics, including track and field, rowing and taekwando. Jeff challenges a common leadership assumption. That learning is something you deliver through explanation, clarity, or repetition. His work shows learning doesn’t work that way.In Part One, we unpack:Why explanation is not evidence of learning a new behaviourWhy agreement in the room often misleads leadersWhy people can’t be built piece by piece like LEGOWhat leaders really influence when learning does occurIt’s a grounded conversation about why so many well-intended leadership development efforts stall, and what to pay attention to instead if you want progress that lasts.If you lead a team, are an educator or coach, and feel like you’re explaining the same things again and again, this one is worth your time.

If every decision, approval and escalation still flows through you, even though your team is smart, capable and experienced, this episode is for you. In my latest Teams That Swear podcast, I unpack what happens when leaders let go the right way, drawing on David Marquet’s Turn the Ship Around. Marquet transformed the worst-performing submarine in the US Navy into the best bythrowing out command-and-control and teaching his people to take ownership. Listen in and you’ll walk away with: Simple language shifts that turn compliance into ownership.A method to hand over control without losing confidence in the outcome.A clear way to build decision-makers, not just task-doers.Tools to cut red tape so your team can move faster without you in every loop.Practical ways to create psychological safety so your people actually challenge you (before it’s too late) If you’re ready to reclaim time, sharpen your focus, and see your team step up in ways you didn’t think possible, this episode will show you how.

If you think leadership means speaking first, staying tough, and being the expert in your area, this Teams That Swear episode, featuring Lucy Liu’s head chef Jenna North, might challenge that.In our latest conversation with non-corporate leaders, I sat down with the Head Chef of one of Melbourne’s busiest kitchens.She leads a team of 20+ chefs, taking a non-Gordon Ramsay approach to cursing, without posturing, and without losing her presence when the pressure’s on.Instead of leading from the front, she leads from the middle.We unpacked:Why staying calm matters more than you think (“If I lose it, then everyone else loses it.”)How she built trust in her early days as head of the kitchen without being the expert (“I didn’t know you could cook” suggested one of her staff after she was in the job for a few weeks).Why confidence doesn’t have to be loudAnd why listening might be your most underrated leadership skillIt’s about the kind of leadership that keeps people grounded when pressure is high, pace is relentless, and trust is everything.Whether you’re leading 20 chefs or a 200-person exec team, Jenna’s calm conviction offers something rare: a reminder that presence isn’t passive. It’s what holds the team together when the heat is on.

You might not have caused the dysfunction, but you're responsible for shifting it. Your team reflects what you allow, what you reinforce, and what you let slide.If your leadership team feels a little off, if there are too many side conversations in chats or in the meeting after the meeting, or the conversations that need to be had aren’t happening… this episode might be exactly what you need.It's short, sharp and it might make you uncomfortable. And that’s the point. Because if your team dynamics are off, it's not just about your team. It’s also about you.Before you scroll past, hear me out.Leadership doesn’t start with another vision statement or a feel-good quote. It starts in the tough moments, when you decide to lead differently.In this episode, I share:What doesn’t work when you're trying to fix team dynamicsA story from a senior leader who modelled real leadership in just one sentenceFour practical ways to reset how your team works togetherNo theatre. No silver bullets. Just the truth about what it takes to turn things around, and where to start.Listen to the episode now. Use it to start a better conversation with your team.

What leaders can learn when you or your teams aren’t at their best.Cirque du Soleil head coach Lee McDermott has rebuilt more than high-performing teams,  he’s rebuilt himself.He’s won gold medals, led global performers at Cirque du Soleil, and knows what it’s like to be stuck between what’s expected and what you actually have the energy to give.When he took over a team at Cirque that had stopped talking to each other, he didn’t rush in with strategy. He played music. Broke the group into small circles. Gave them space to feel again.And when his own energy dropped? He listened. To his wife, to his body, to people who knew him best, and he acted on it.If you’ve ever felt the pressure to perform when your team’s disconnected or your tank’s half-full, this episode’s for you.

Ever had a moment that completely changed how you lead?In this episode of Teams That Swear, I share two of mine.One came from a trip to Cameroon.The other? A piece of brutal feedback I never saw coming.Here’s what I unpack:Why discomfort is often the best teacherWhat leading in Cameroon taught me about perspectiveThe difference between feedback that helps and feedback that hurtsWhy some leadership teams feel stuck and how to shift thatHow one CEO stopped carrying the whole team and got them to carry each otherThese moments shaped who I am and how I lead.They reminded me that if you're not grounded, you'll get pulled into everything that isn’t.

Leadership sounds easy when it’s written in a book. It’s very different when you’re sitting across from someone whose career or livelihood is about to change.Pat Howard has been in that chair more than once.At Cricket Australia, he was the one who had to tell Steve Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft what sanctions they faced after the ball-tampering scandal. At MSL Solutions, in his very first week as CEO, he had to let 60 people go to keep the business alive.These weren’t just hard conversations, they were moments that would define people’s lives, careers and reputations.In our latest Teams That Swear episode, Pat shares the principles he follows when the pressure is on:Why speed and clarity matter most in tough conversationsThe Wednesday 4pm rule that kept a distributed teamalignedThe discipline of “120 coffees” that helped him bounce back after leaving CA Why the best player is never just the most talented one,  it’s the one who makes the team betterWe also went behind the headlines. From growing up in the carnival world to lessons learned in rugby and business, Pat’s story is a reminder that leadership is as much about people as it is about performance.

Are you burnt out, or are you just buried?In the latest episode of Teams That Swear, I talk about something I’m seeing in almost every conversation with senior leaders right now.They’re not disengaged. They still care deeply about their teams and the work. But they are buried. Buried in meetings, buried in emails that start with “Can you just...”, and buried inwork that no longer needs them.Burnout is real. And if you’re there, please take it seriously. But for many leaders, the issue isn’t burnout. It’s busyness. It’s being buried in tasks that leave no time to think, decide or lead.In this episode, I share:A powerful moment from a recent coaching session that hit me hardWhat “being buried” really looks like for leadersThree practical things you can do this week to make space for what mattersIf your week feels over before it starts, this one’s for you.Listen now and try one of the ideas. Let go of something, block time for deep thinking, or simply explain the “why” behind a decision. It will make a difference.

If you think confidence means being louder, you need to meet Lizzy Geremia.She leads over 100 people across brand, communications, and the Breakthrough Innovation Group innovation at Reece Group, one of Australia’s biggest suppliers in trade, plumbing and bathroom products.In our latest Teams That Swear episode, we sat down for a proper, honest conversation about what leadership looks likewhen you stop performing - in the sense of pretending to be someone you are not -  and start leading in a way that actually works for you.Here’s what we unpacked:How to earn trust early, and why it mattersWhat to do when alignment in meetings is just a showThe one question that cuts through tension fastWhy confidence doesn’t need to be loudAnd what it takes to lead with presence, not performanceLizzy didn’t hold back. She shared the kind of stuff most leaders avoid talking about. The feedback that stung. The meetings that went sideways. The moments she asked herself, “Is this really the kind of leader I want to be?”She leads in a way that makes you think: I don’t need to raise my voice, I just need to ask better questions.This chat is for anyone leading a team or trying to figure out how to lead in a way that actually works for them, not just the way they’ve seen done.

What’s something you avoided for way too long, but once you finally tackled it, it changed everything?For me, it was reading Mindset by Carol Dweck.I’d referenced it, nodded along in conversations, even quoted it. But I hadn’t actually read it.Now I have and it’s reshaped how I think about leadership, learning, and what it really takes to build teams that swear byeach other, not about each other.In this episode of the Teams That Swear podcast, I unpack:Why mindset drives more than motivation, it shapes culture, performance and trustThe hidden risk of “CEO disease” and how it quietly kills growthWhat leaders actually signal when they reward talent over effortA better formula for performance that every leader should hearAnd the mindset shift around belonging that caught me by surpriseIf you lead people or want to lead better, this one’s worth your time.

When your team’s flying into Afghanistan in a C-130, trust isn’t a nice-to-have. It’s non-negotiable. That’s what struck me during my latest Lunch with Adrian the Canadian episode on the Teams That Swear podcast with Ben Villalobos. Ben’s a former Royal Canadian Air Force pilot and now leads in corporate aviation. And while his stories are gripping (yes, there’s tear gas, rocket launchers, and pressure), what stuck with me most wasn’t the drama, it was the discipline. Ben leads with focus, fairness, and a feedback rhythm that puts most corporate teams to the test. No ego. No excess. Just a clear, steady commitment to getting the mission done and making sure everyone gets home safely. We talked about: Why rank disappears in the cockpit and should in your meetings tooHow feedback isn’t a performance review, it’s part of the flight planWhat it really takes to earn trust (hint: your job title means nothing)And how to separate stress from distraction when everything feels urgent Ben’s lessons aren’t just for aviators. They’re for leaders under pressure, like you, who need their team to deliver, especially when things get tough. If you’ve ever found yourself second-guessing your leadership, wondering why your team won’t speak up, or feeling like you’re spinning your wheels while the noise keeps building… this one’s for you.

Winter’s here. Motivation’s down. Now what?1 in 3 Aussies admit to lower motivation during the colder months. Andit’s not just them, teams feel it too.In this episode of Teams That Swear, I talk about:   Why winter impacts team performance (and what the stats say)   The role of short-term wins in lifting energyWhat actually works to reset motivation. hint: it’s not holiday photosAnd how your team can find focus when the vibe’s offIf you lead people, this is the season to be intentional. Because even when it’s dark and chilly, you’ve still got targets, pressure, and a team counting on you.

Kerry Gassner doesn’t just lead teams, he’s led them through some of the most intense environments you can imagine. From working homicide cases to running operationsat one of Australia’s busiest stadiums, his story is as unexpected as it is powerful.In our latest Teams That Swear podcast, I sat down with Kerry for a raw, honest conversation about leadership, pressure, and the moments that define both. What stood out? His belief in the power of people and the lessons he’s learned about empathy, ego, and trust in high-stakes settings.Here’s a taste of what we covered:What homicide investigations taught him about building trustHow he leads through tension in politically charged environmentsWhy empathy, not authority is his leadership edgeThe mantra that keeps him grounded: “Pauseall action until serenity exists.”Kerry’s path, from truck driver to detective to event ops leader, is anything but typical. But what links it all is his approach to leadership: calm, people-focused, andnever above the work.This episode is for anyone navigating team friction, high-pressure environments, or simply trying to lead with a little more humanity.

She was asked to lead Cricket Australia’s high performance team… right after the sandpaper scandal.No prep. No playbook. Just 50 bruised staff and a moment to step up.Belinda Clark AO and I unpacked what it really takes to lead when the pressure is on and what still matters in leadership today.In our Lunch with Adrian the Canadian chat, she shared:How to lead without relying on your titleWhy “balance” has nothing to do with hoursWhat style works with today’s athletes and workers alikeShe’s now building young leaders through The Leadership Playground and her take on leadership is one every exec should hear.

What if setting goals didn’t have to feel so… painful? In this episode, I’m sharing a smarter, lighter way to approach the year ahead by ditching rigid targets and focusing on what I call "areas of focus" instead. I’ll take you through personal stories, real wins, and practical tips that show how this simple mindset shift can lead to meaningful success, without the pressure.

Why do teams thrive in crisis moments, and how can you bottle that magic for everyday success? This episode uncovers the recipe for team effectiveness, with lessons from real-world crises and actionable steps to create that same energy, clarity, and focus—without the drama.

Is hybrid work really working? I’m exploring the tough questions leaders face about balancing flexibility with connection and why bold decisions are needed now more than ever. Curious about what’s next for the future of work? This is one episode you won’t want to miss.

Is your leadership team truly winning together? This episode dives into why prioritising Team 1; the leadership team, over Team 2 is the key to alignment, trust, and long-term success. Tune in to hear how one team transformed their dynamics and boosted engagement by over 36% with intentional collaboration and focus.

What does it take for a leadership team to truly lift their game? Hear the story of Shannon, a C-Suite exec navigating the fine line between strategic focus and empowering future leaders, while challenging his team to think bigger. If you’re ready to get your team out of the weeds and working smarter together, this episode is your next move.

Is your team truly thriving, or could there be somethingyou’re missing? In this episode, we explore the often-overlooked dynamics that can make or break a team. Through the story of a leader who reignited team morale, we uncover the warning signs of cultural misalignment and how stress and competing priorities can impact teamwork. You’ll learn actionable strategies to improve collaboration; whether you’re a leader sensing something’s off or a team member noticing cracks in the foundation.